Zach Simons Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Zachary M. Simons
Born 05/23/1985 in Mountain Home, ID
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Everett CC
Drafted in the 2nd round (55th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2005 (signed for $635,000).

View Draft Report

A 38th-round pick from an obscure Idaho high school in 2003, Simons went unnoticed as a freshman at Everett Community College in 2004. Not only did Oakland make little attempt to sign him, but no other club saw fit to draft a player with a high-80s fastball. Simons was a different player this year. With an additional 20 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, he began pumping low- to mid-90s fastballs, an increase of 4-5 mph, and holding his velocity deep into games. He became the marquee talent in what may be the best crop of players ever to come out of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges. Simons has a quick arm and generates electric stuff with a loose, easy delivery. In addition to his fastball, he flashes a slider with bite and depth, though the pitch is inconsistent. He has little feel for a changeup. Simons and J.T. Zink, a former San Diego State righthander, formed a dynamic 1-2 pitching punch this spring at Everett, but were forced to work deep into games on a regular basis because of a thin bullpen. Somewhat raw, Simons is still more of a thrower than pitcher. All his flaws are correctable, scouts say.

Top Rankings

Despite being a former second-round pick, Simons wasn't among the Rockies' top relief prospects at the start of last season. On April 30, Colorado sent him to Detroit in a trade for Jason Grilli. Simons embraced the fresh start and pitched impressively in high Class A. After initially struggling with his command, he allowed only 20 hits over his final 44 innings. Simons throws a four-seam fastball that sits in the low-90s, tops out at 95 mph and seems to have a burst of life as it nears the batter. His heater's explosiveness causes hitters to jam themselves, resulting in a lot of weak flyouts. His out pitch is a power curveball with good depth. When he commands it well, it's a plus pitch. His changeup pales in comparison to his other two pitches, but it could become an adequate third offerings. He tends to struggle when he speeds up his delivery, resulting in more effort and less control. The Tigers are pleased with the manner in which he has absorbed instruction during the short time he's been with the organization. As long as he can locate his fastball and curve, Simons should reach the big leagues as a middle reliever. He'll advance to Double-A in 2009.

Simons vaulted to the second round of the 2005 draft after a standout sophomore season at Everett (Wash.) CC, quite a jump for a player who was a 38th-rounder out of high school in Idaho and went undrafted after his first year at Everett. Simons increased his stock by adding 20 pounds to his lanky frame, resulting in a fastball that rarely dipped below 90 mph and was up to 94 during the spring. Perhaps because he was tired, Simons usually pitched in the high 80s at Tri-City. Still, he impressed observers with his quick arm, deceptive low three-quarters delivery and aggressive gameplan. He threw three pitches for strikes and moved them around the zone, though he'd benefit from learning to vary his fastball more. His slider can be a plus pitch, but he gets under it a bit too often and leaves it flat. Simons used his changeup more as a pro than he did in school, and showed some sink with it.